IP Library Granted Patent US 11,364,748
Granted Patent B2
US 11,364,748 · App. 16/487,818 · Granted Jun 21, 2022

Pneumatic tire

Inventor: Hiroshi Furusawa (Hiratsuka, JP)
Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
B60C11/1392B60C2011/0365B60C2011/0381B60C2011/0395
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,364,748
App. No.
16/487,818
Granted
Jun 21, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A pneumatic tire includes lug grooves in a tread surface of a shoulder land, the lug grooves crossing a circumferential direction and terminating at a first side within the shoulder land and passing through a contact edge at a second side; and a notch formed on an opening edge of the lug grooves, the notch being cutout from the tread surface cut radially inward. The lug grooves have a width decreasing from the first to the second side, an end position of the lug grooves is disposed from a main groove from 5% to 35% of a lateral dimension from the main groove to the ground contact edge, and a maximum groove width position is disposed from the main groove 40% or less of the lateral dimension from the main groove to the ground contact edge; and the notch has a width that increases from the first to the second side.

Claims (37)

1. A pneumatic tire, comprising:

in a tread surface of a shoulder portion, a main groove extending in a tire circumferential direction;

a shoulder land portion defined by an outermost side in a tire lateral direction of the main groove;

lug grooves arranged in the tire circumferential direction in the tread surface of the shoulder land portion, the lug grooves each crossing the tire circumferential direction and terminating at a first end side within the shoulder land portion and passing through a ground contact edge at a second end side; and

a notch portion formed on an opening edge of the lug grooves, the notch portions being a cutout from the tread surface cut inward in a tire radial direction;

the lug grooves having a groove width that decreases from the first end side to the second end side, a terminating end position of the lug grooves being disposed in a range from the main groove that is from 5% to 35% of a tire lateral direction dimension from the main groove to the ground contact edge, and a maximum groove width position being disposed in a range from the main groove that is 40% or less of the tire lateral direction dimension from the main groove to the ground contact edge; and

the notch portion having a notch width that increases from the first end side to the second end side of the lug grooves; wherein

at a position 0.50×L from an inner side in the tire lateral direction, a relationship 0.80×y0≤y≤0.98×y0 is satisfied;

at a position 0.80×L from the inner side in the tire lateral direction, a relationship 0.60×y0≤y≤0.90×y0 is satisfied; and

at a position 1.00×L from the inner side in the tire lateral direction, a relationship 0.30×y0≤y≤0.50× y0 is satisfied, where L is a tire lateral direction dimension from the maximum groove width position of the lug grooves to the ground contact edge, y0 is a maximum groove width of the lug grooves, and y is a groove width of the lug grooves at a discretionary position located further outward in the tire lateral direction than the maximum groove width position of the lug grooves.

2. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

relationships 0≤x0<x and 0.2(y0−y)+x0≤x≤2.0(y0−y)+x0 are satisfied, where y0 is a maximum groove width of the lug grooves, x0 is the notch width of the notch portion at the maximum groove width position of the lug grooves, y is a groove width of the lug grooves at a discretionary position located further outward in the tire lateral direction than the maximum groove width position of the lug grooves, and x is a notch width of the notch portion at a discretionary position.

3. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the notch portion has a notch depth from the tread surface inward in the tire radial direction of from 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm.

4. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

a rotation direction is designated; and

a relationship xb<xa≤3.0xb is satisfied, where xa is a notch width of the notch portion located on a trailing side of the shoulder land portion in the tire circumferential direction with respect to the lug grooves, and xb is a notch width of the notch portion located on a leading side.

5. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein the notch portion has a constant notch width in a range from the maximum groove width position of the lug grooves to the terminating end position.

6. The pneumatic tire according to claim 1 , wherein

a vehicle inner/outer side orientation when mounted on a vehicle is designated; and

the shoulder land portion provided with the lug grooves and the notch portion is disposed at least on a vehicle outer side.

7. The pneumatic tire according to claim 2 , wherein the notch portion has a notch depth from the tread surface inward in the tire radial direction of from 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm.

8. The pneumatic tire according to claim 7 , wherein

a rotation direction is designated; and

a relationship xb<xa≤3.0xb is satisfied, where xa is a notch width of the notch portion located on a trailing side of the shoulder land portion in the tire circumferential direction with respect to the lug grooves, and xb is a notch width of the notch portion located on a leading side.

9. The pneumatic tire according to claim 8 , wherein the notch portion has a constant notch width in a range from the maximum groove width position of the lug grooves to the terminating end position.

10. The pneumatic tire according to claim 9 , wherein

a vehicle inner/outer side orientation when mounted on a vehicle is designated; and

the shoulder land portion provided with the lug grooves and the notch portion is disposed at least on a vehicle outer side.

11. A pneumatic tire, comprising:

in a tread surface of a shoulder portion, a main groove extending in a tire circumferential direction;

a shoulder land portion defined by an outermost side in a tire lateral direction of the main groove;

lug grooves arranged in the tire circumferential direction in the tread surface of the shoulder land portion, the lug grooves each crossing the tire circumferential direction and terminating at a first end side within the shoulder land portion and passing through a ground contact edge at a second end side; and

a notch portion formed on an opening edge of the lug grooves, the notch portions being a cutout from the tread surface cut inward in a tire radial direction;

the lug grooves having a groove width that decreases from the first end side to the second end side, a terminating end position of the lug grooves being disposed in a range from the main groove that is from 5% to 35% of a tire lateral direction dimension from the main groove to the ground contact edge, and a maximum groove width position being disposed in a range from the main groove that is 40% or less of the tire lateral direction dimension from the main groove to the ground contact edge; and

the notch portion having a notch width that increases from the first end side to the second end side of the lug grooves; wherein

relationships 0≤x0<x and 0.2(y0−y)+x0≤x≤2.0(y0−y)+x0 are satisfied, where y0 is a maximum groove width of the lug grooves, x0 is the notch width of the notch portion at the maximum groove width position of the lug grooves, y is a groove width of the lug grooves at a discretionary position located further outward in the tire lateral direction than the maximum groove width position of the lug grooves, and x is a notch width of the notch portion at a discretionary position; and

the notch portion has a notch depth from the tread surface inward in the tire radial direction of from 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS FOR ASSIGNEE Recorded Nov 18, 2023
From: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
To: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 065626/0740 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2019
From: FURUSAWA, HIROSHI
To: THE YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 050123/0387 →